Okronipa Harriet, Posey Isabelle, Nsiah-Asamoah Christiana, Klevor Moses K, Ayifah Emmanuel
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, United States.
Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Curr Dev Nutr. 2025 May 19;9(6):107469. doi: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.107469. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Food insecurity is a global public health problem and a likely determinant of poor diet quality. However, the relationship between food insecurity and diet quality among adolescents remains under-researched.
This study examined the association between food insecurity and diet quality among pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers in Ghana.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among pregnant adolescents (n = 216) and adolescent mothers (n = 206) aged 12-19 y in Cape Coast, Ghana. Diet Quality indicators, including Food Group Diversity Score (FGDS), Minimum Diet Diversity for women (MDD-W), ALL-5 indicator, and dietary factors for noncommunicable diseases (NCD-Protect and NCD-Risk) were assessed using the Global Diet Quality Questionnaire (DQQ). Food Insecurity was measured using the Child Food Insecurity Experience Scale (CFIES). Linear and logistic regression were used to examine the association between food insecurity and diet quality indicators, adjusting for relevant covariates.
Participants had a mean age of 18 ± 1.2 y. Most were out of school (70.50%) and unemployed (82.0%). Participants consumed 5 out of 10 food groups (FGDS 4.9 ± 1.7), and 56.8% met the MDD-W. The mean CFIES score was 9.5 ± 6.4, with 87.2% reporting some food insecurity in the past 30 d. Food insecurity was significantly associated with FGDS and MDD-W but not the ALL-5 indicator. Participants who experienced food insecurity were less likely to meet the MDD-W (odds ratio: 0.39; 95% confidence interval: 0.20, 0.77), consume NCD protective foods (β ± SE = -0.59 ± 0.22, = 0.0078) and consume foods linked to NCD risk (-0.74 ± 0.26, = 0.004).
Food insecurity was significantly associated with poor diet quality among pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers in Ghana. Interventions addressing food insecurity may improve diet quality in this population.
粮食不安全是一个全球性的公共卫生问题，并且很可能是饮食质量差的一个决定因素。然而，青少年中粮食不安全与饮食质量之间的关系仍未得到充分研究。
本研究调查了加纳怀孕青少年和青少年母亲中粮食不安全与饮食质量之间的关联。
在加纳海岸角对年龄在12至19岁的怀孕青少年（n = 216）和青少年母亲（n = 206）进行了一项横断面调查。使用全球饮食质量问卷（DQQ）评估饮食质量指标，包括食物组多样性得分（FGDS）、女性最低饮食多样性（MDD-W）、ALL-5指标以及非传染性疾病的饮食因素（NCD-Protect和NCD-Risk）。使用儿童粮食不安全经历量表（CFIES）测量粮食不安全状况。采用线性和逻辑回归分析粮食不安全与饮食质量指标之间的关联，并对相关协变量进行调整。
参与者的平均年龄为18±1.2岁。大多数人辍学（70.50%）且失业（82.0%）。参与者食用了10种食物组中的5种（FGDS 4.9±1.7），56.8%的人达到了MDD-W。CFIES平均得分为9.5±6.4，87.2%的人报告在过去30天内存在某种程度的粮食不安全。粮食不安全与FGDS和MDD-W显著相关，但与ALL-5指标无关。经历粮食不安全的参与者达到MDD-W的可能性较小（优势比：0.39；95%置信区间：0.20，0.77），食用非传染性疾病保护性食物的可能性较小（β±SE = -0.59±0.22，P = 0.0078），食用与非传染性疾病风险相关食物的可能性较小（-0.74±0.26，P = 0.004）。
在加纳，怀孕青少年和青少年母亲中，粮食不安全与不良饮食质量显著相关。解决粮食不安全问题的干预措施可能会改善这一人群的饮食质量。
